Have you ever done something you are ashamed of? Come on now, you’re sitting there by yourself – ‘fess-up. Nobody listenin’ to your brain confess. So, what’s your answer?
Yes?
Scenario:
“You have? What!?
Well, shame on you!
How could you…?
You are a dirty low-down rotten sinner.
You should be ashamed of yourself.
What a worthless piece a’ gunk….”
That is the way many speak to themselves about the wrongs in their past. Unless your brain is deadwood, “Self-talk” (psychologytoday.com) is 24/7 relentless.
Your brain noggin’s talkin’!
Is your brain noggin talkin’ negative or positive? Biblical or what? Has your brain “bought into” unbiblical thinking? It is so easy to beat ourselves up because we don’t measure-up. We often do not even measure-up to our own standards! How do you deal with your rottennesses? You’ve got some. Don’t fool yourself.
God does not overlook and excuse sin (Romans 1: verse 18). Never has. Never will. However, Jesus dealt with the sins of others in a much more merciful manner than we tend to do with our self and our sins – and the sins of others.
Jesus is holy – and yet He did not beat on people for their sins. How’s that?! What did He actually say about “sinning”? Have you learned from Jesus – how to deal with your sins? Or does your self-talk not match the teachings and practice of Jesus?
We humans tend to get it all wrong when it comes to dealing with sinfulness, shame and guilt and condemning. Here is what the Bible teaches:
1. First: Sin is horrible
2. The Bible teaches that we all are sinners.
3. Evil is progressive.
4. Turn shame into repentance.
5. God, however, is full of mercy and grace.
6. Jesus is The Way.
7. All or nothing.
1. First: Sin is horrible – heinous, no matter what “grade” or degradation level we try to label it:
Degrees of Sin
1I can deal with that/ 2not really all that bad/
3not so good/ 4unacceptable/
5bad/ 6really really bad/
7evil/ 8Really BAD/
9horrible/ 10heinous/
– Source: From the article My Heinous Heinous Ways
[Also see the footnote at end of the article, Commentary: Penalty vs. Effect. *copy is online here
Any sin of any so-called “level”, is evil in the sight of The Holy One. Or have you fallen for the deception of the Evil One, content with your sins and the sins of the world around you?
2. The Bible teaches that we all are sinners.
“All we like sheep have gone astray.” (Isaiah 53:6) “There is none that is good.” (Various passages)
God is holy, and will never accept sin into His Kingdom.
Makes sense:
Holy God – Holy Kingdom – Holy Citizens (pardoned citizens)
Holy God – Sinful Creatures – Citizens of Hell (angels and humans who died still in their sins – unforgiven)
Unless something is done personally about their sin – – – God will eventually carry-out His sentence upon the “guilty”. Throughout the ages He has been patiently waiting for us to repent and turn to Him. Have you turned? It’s not too late to be accepted by God. See 2 Peter 3:7-12 Amplified Bible (AMP):
7 But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly people.
8 Nevertheless, do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like one day. 9 The Lord does not delay [as though He were unable to act] and is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is [extraordinarily] patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.
10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will vanish with a [mighty and thunderous] roar, and the [material] elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and the works that are on it will be [b]burned up.
11 Since all these things are to be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be [in the meantime] in holy behavior [that is, in a pattern of daily life that sets you apart as a believer] and in godliness [displaying profound reverence toward our awesome God], 12 [while you earnestly] look for and await the coming of the day of God.
3. Evil is progressive.
Evil is not necessarily chronological, but it is progressive. Understand the progressive nature of evilness here in Romans 1:
I. The conditions are set by the individual – for evil to to take hold: Romans 1
A – They Suppress the Truth. verse 18-19 (people) “who in their wickedness suppress and stifle the truth, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them [in their inner consciousness], for God made it evident to them.”
B – They Fail to Believe & Trust. verse 20 “For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense.“
C – They Do Not Honor God. verse 21a “For even though [d]they knew God [as the Creator], they did not [e]honor Him as God or give thanks [for His wondrous creation].
D – Their Thinking Becomes Worthless. verse 21b “On the contrary, they became worthless in their thinking [godless, with pointless reasonings, and silly speculations], and ….“
E – Their Heart is Darkened. verse 21b “On the contrary, …their foolish heart was darkened.“
F – Now Fools, They Exchange God for Idols. verse 22-23 “Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for [f]an image [worthless idols] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles.“
Do you see yourself anywhere here on this spectrum? It’s not too late.
II. Evil takes hold of the individual: Romans 1
1 – Impure Hearts. verse 24 “Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their own hearts to [sexual] impurity…“
2 – Degrading Passions. verse 26 “For this reason God gave them over to degrading and vile passions“
3 – Depraved Mind. verse 28 “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God or consider Him worth knowing [as their Creator], God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do things which are improper and repulsive, 29 until they were filled (permeated, saturated) with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil“
4 – Tolerate Evil Practices. verse 32 “Although they know God’s righteous decree and His judgment, that those who do such things deserve death, yet they not only do them, but they even [enthusiastically] approve and tolerate others who practice them.“
God does not, and godliness does not – tolerate evil practices. Are you tolerating evil? Don’t let chutzpah take hold of your life! [See definition of chutzpah later in this article.]
4. Turn shame into repentance.
We totally should be ashamed of how far fallen we are from God’s standards when we sin. Whether our sin was in the past or is now active in our life, sin is something to be ashamed of – if we are truly born again followers of Christ.
We are warned to NOT follow our shameful ways. Shame is found throughout the Bible. [For Study about Shame: Romans 1:27; 1 Corinthians 1:27; 1 Corinthians 15:34; 2 Corinthians 4:2; Ephesians 4:26; Philippians 3:19; 1 Peter 4:3; 1 Peter 5:2; 2 Peter 2:2; Jude 1:23]
Many are they who glory in their shame! [Philippians 3:19; Jude 1:23; 2 Peter 2:2]
Every time, we should turn that guiltiness into repentance. Sorrow for our sin does not equal repentance from our sin. There is a difference.
One type of sorrow leads to authentic concern and repentance, whereas the “worldly sorrow” is hollow and fruitless; more like a “sorry we were caught” type of sorrow. The traitor Judas was sorrowful, but instead of then repenting in sorrow, he hung himself in grief – without repenting of his sin. Paul put it this way (2 Corinthians 7:9-11):
9 …I am glad now, not because you were hurt and made sorry, but because your sorrow led to repentance [and you turned back to God];
for you felt a grief such as God meant you to feel, so that you might not suffer loss in anything on our account.
10 For [godly] sorrow that is in accord with the will of God produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation; but worldly sorrow [the hopeless sorrow of those who do not believe] produces death.
11 For [you can look back and] see
what an earnestness and authentic concern this godly sorrow has produced in you:
what vindication of yourselves [against charges that you tolerate sin],
what indignation [at sin],
what fear [of offending God],
what longing [for righteousness and justice],
what passion [to do what is right],
what readiness to punish [those who sin and those who tolerate sin]!
At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in the matter.
– 2 Corinthians 7:9-11 Amplified Bible (AMP)
It is never too late to repent… until it’s too late.
- It’s too late if you die in your sins.
- Plus, it also is too late if you delay and delay, and your sinning becomes ingrained in you, and you harden yourself against God.
- You totally convince yourself God’s Way is not necessary, and that your ways are right.
That also takes you to a state of “too late”. Hardened, you never relent. You never repent. You die hardened, unrepentant, and you arrive before God’s Throne still under condemnation.
5. God, however, is full of mercy and grace.
Every evil is forgivable through Jesus’ grace. He loves us enough to provide “a way to escape” His condemnation. Without the forgiveness of Christ, each of us is definitely headed for judgement and condemnation.
But – God provided a way, His Way, for us to come to Him and be pardoned from that condemnation. In Christ there is absolutely no condemnation!
Romans 8:1 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Therefore there is
now
no condemnation
[no guilty verdict, no punishment]
for those who are
in Christ Jesus
[who believe in Him
as personal Lord and Savior].
6. Jesus is The Way.
Jesus Himself said that He was the only way to God’s Kingdom:
John 14:6 Amplified Bible (AMP)
6 Jesus said to him,
“I am the [only] Way [to God] and
the [real] Truth and
the [real] Life;
no one
comes to the Father
but through Me.”
When confronted with the sin of an adulterous woman (by very condemning religious leaders), Jesus did not condemn her. He did not beat the drums of shame and guilt and unworthiness! Jesus instead said to the woman:
“I do not condemn you either.
Go. From now on sin no more.”
– John 8: verse 11
The average sinner will not admit sinfulness. The mantra of today is, “I have done no wrong” (as in Proverbs 30:20). Jesus taught that we are not to be condemning of those caught in sinfulness. But He was also teaching that we are not to accept our sin. If we sin – we are to go and “sin no more”.
7. All or nothing.
To be saved from the condemnation of God on That Day – one must genuinely acknowledge Jesus as God now, turn from our sin now, and follow Him wholeheartedly, with all you are. It must be an “all or nothing” decision for Him. Are you truly following Christ – with all you are?
And he replied,
“You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and
with all your strength, and
with all your mind; and
your neighbor as yourself.”
I just cannot fathom arriving before God after my death, and I stand before Him, having not lived for Christ, and basically say the following – with the life I had lived – (because, you know, He knew all along all of my thoughts and the intents of my inner self): “I meant to, but never followed You.”
Could this be you on that day? Imagine you standing before God and saying,
Oh my God
I stand here before You
and want you to know
I really really actually did love you
while on the earth.
Yes. I did. I did.
But, but, but, but —
I got so caught-up with “living”
and all the struggles of “making a go of it.”
I kind of messed up.
I was always trying to follow you.
I meant to come to you.
I kind of came to you several times,
but I always wanted to do things my way. You know.
I’m so sorry. So sorry….
Please forgive me.
I wasn’t all THAT bad.
I was trying.
Don’t be a wannabe Christian – and end up a wanna-get-out of hell God-damned “believer”. Or how about “Jane” here:
Oh my God!
I knew it! You really do exist!
I went to church, and prayed sometimes
and you know I called myself “a Christian”,
so, you know,
I wasn’t following any of those “other” religions
– those false teachings.
I really really liked how I felt
in churches teaching about Christ:
so peaceful and serene.
It always sort of bothered me, you know —
my voting and my vocal support for abortion and
normalizing gay lifestyles and gay marriage.
I know the Bible said
all that was not approved by You,
but, but,
it just bothered me
that you would not let people
just choose their own ways.
Inside, You know I actually did like your Way.
You’ve got to know I wanted You.
The Janes of life liked Christian stuff, but not true repentance.
Or how about this “Hillary” type here. Could this be you in front of God:
So, God, here I am. Thanks.
I’m so glad to be here finally with You.
I’ve been so looking forward to
being a part of your Kingdom.
So great of You to meet me coming in.
I have a little feeling you might
not have been totally in support
of everything I stood for,
the politics and agendas
I pushed and pushed for,
but I think I had it right.
It still just doesn’t make sense to me,
all those conservative teachings from the Bible.
Might have been fine for the olden days.
So I picked-out the best ones, and
did a make-over on the ones that needed it –
to fit into the modern ways of America. You know.
Let’s meet after all this hullabaloo settles down.
I’m sure You will agree with me.
The chutzpah of some [“presumption plus arrogance“] will land them opposite of heaven. See: Matthew 23:25; Matthew 23:27; Luke 11:46; Luke 11:52.
In Hebrew, chutzpah is used as “indignantly“, to describe someone who has overstepped the boundaries of accepted behavior. In traditional usage, the word expresses a strong sense of disapproval, condemnation and outrage.
Leo Rosten in The Joys of Yiddish defines chutzpah as “gall, brazen nerve, effrontery, incredible ‘guts’, presumption plus arrogance such as no other word and no other language can do justice to”. In this sense, chutzpah expresses both strong disapproval and condemnation. In the same work, Rosten also defines the term as “that quality enshrined in a man who, having killed his mother and father, throws himself on the mercy of the court because he is an orphan”. Chutzpah amounts to a total denial of personal responsibility, which renders others speechless and incredulous … one cannot quite believe that another person totally lacks common human traits like remorse, regret, guilt, sympathy and insight. The implication is at least some degree of psychopathy in the subject, as well as the awestruck amazement of the observer at the display. – Chutzpah – Wikipedia
God is
HUGELY merciful
AMAZINGLY full of grace
IMMENSELY forgiving
and
ASTOUNDINGLY loving
towards us.
But He requires we turn to Him out of our free will – to receive all of this. His mercy, grace, forgiveness and love will not be experienced by those who do not yield and turn. It is your choice. He never has and never will force anyone to turn and follow Him. His love should compel us towards Him. To be born again, we must turn 180 degrees from sin, and accept Him fully as our Lord and Savior.
“You really think that the God who made you,
THE God of the Universe,
is going to accept just part of you,
a halfhearted commitment to Him?
No way.
A halfhearted plea
— is not what God is listening for.
A heart-felt guiltiness and
sadness because of your sin
— is not repentance.
Raising your hand to say yes to Jesus
— is totally useless without
1) acknowledging Jesus
as the Son of God come to earth in the flesh,
2) genuinely turning away from sin (“repentance”), and
3) truly following Him.”
– From the OMG article: No Tolerance for Error
The only opt-in Christ will accept – is a 100% opt-in… total surrender, total repentance, total acknowledgement of Him as Christ the Messiah, total life submission to Him as Lord, total followance.
The words of Jesus bear repeating. He is saying that coming to Him to be born again — is an “all in” choice for Him. That does not mean you are suddenly perfect on this planet. It does mean that, up there, in His Kingdom Court, He instantly declared you positionally forgiven, set free in that moment in time here on earth!
Declared “Not Guilty” happens in His courts – the moment your are born again. You may look the same… but inside you are made a brand new creation instantly.
“You shall love the Lord your God
with all your heart, and
with all your soul, and
with all your strength, and
with all your mind; and
your neighbor as yourself.
FOR MORE:
God Is Able To Keep You From Stumbling – Jude 1: verses 24-25
The Roman Road …key verses explaining salvation – in the book of Romans
Make Self Talk… God Talk. It goes on and on and on:
Jesus Knows Your Thoughts
Conversations With God
Developing Character
What We Are To Be
Patterns That We Set
Maturing in the Faith
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